ELECTION '08
Palin's Debate With The Facts

Last night's match-up between Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) was one "most highly anticipated vice-presidential debates in history." The event at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, capped off one of Palin's most high-profile weeks, in which she completed a series of interviews with CBS's Katie Couric and various right-wing radio hosts. The picture that emerged was of a candidate struggling to grasp complex issues outside of her narrow right-wing worldview. At times, her positions not only went against what the majority of the American public believes, but also against scientific facts. Even conservative Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer admitted after yesterday's debate that he "wasn't impressed by the depth of her answers or the breadth of her knowledge." Palin kept repeating that she wanted to move away from the past and look ahead, but at no point was she able to demonstrate how, going forward, a McCain-Palin administration would be anything but a third Bush term.

ECONOMIC CLUELESNESS: As Congress is in the middle of approving a $700 billion financial bailout, yesterday's debate appropriately kicked off with a discussion of economic issues. Palin repeatedly stressed the reform that she and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) would bring to the government. "Now, John McCain thankfully has been one representing reform," Palin said. "Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell." This claim, however, is an exaggeration. This morning, NPR fact-checked Palin's claim and found that in 2005, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) was actually the one who led the effort to tighten regulations. NPR said that the only piece they could find from McCain was a press release co-sponsoring Hagel's measure. Additionally, in an interview in November 2007, McCain admitted that he was clueless about the economic mess: "So, I'd like to tell you that I did anticipate it, but I have to give you straight talk, I did not." In an interview that aired on Sept. 24, Couric pressed Palin to name "specific examples" of McCain pushing for more regulation. Palin failed, however, and simply replied, "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you." Palin was similarly confused and overwhelmed by her memorized talking points in a CBS interview that aired the next day, when she inexplicably claimed that the bailout is needed to "help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy," a position that no experts have taken.

DANGEROUS DECLARATIONS: Yesterday, Palin aggressively criticized anyone advocating withdrawal from Iraq, even though it is a position held by the majority of the American public. Palin claimed that a timeline for redeployment -- now also embraced by President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri-al Maliki -- would be "a white flag of surrender." Of course, Palin failed to note that before adopting the talking points of the McCain campaign, she held a similar view. In March 2007, Palin told the Alaska Business Monthly, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq. ... [W]hile I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place." Last night and during her CBS interviews, Palin made repeated references to "victory" and "winning" in Iraq while also praising Gen. David Petraeus. Petraeus, however, has disavowed such terms, wanting to avoid "premature declarations of success." The McCain campaign continues to tout Palin as a foreign policy expert. This week on NPR, McCain claimed that he has "turned to her advice many times in the past" on these issues. Defending the claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia constitutes national security experience, the campaign told CBS News this week that "Russian incursions...inside the air defense identification zone have occurred." However, a spokesman for the Alaska region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command has confirmed that "no Russian military planes have been flying even into that zone" during Palin's tenure.

EMBRACING DARTH VADER: In yesterday's debate, Biden called Dick Cheney "one of the most dangerous vice presidents" in history. Palin, however, had a very different view of "Darth Vader." "I'm thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate," she said in last night's debate. Palin also stuck up for Cheney's claim that he's not part of the executive branch, saying that the Constitution allowed for "flexibility there in the office of the vice president." When asked what Cheney's biggest mistake has been while in office, Palin refused to name any of his official actions to Couric. "Worst thing, I guess that would have been the duck hunting accident, where you know, that was an accident," she said. "And that I think that was made into a caricature of him." Trying to paint herself as a reformer, Palin bragged that as governor, she has appointed people "regardless of party." However, high school affiliation has been very important. As the New York Times noted, "The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government." Palin has appointed her former junior high band-mate, among others.

Under the Radar

ECONOMY -- NATIONAL DEBT HITS A 50-YEAR HIGH: Six years after Vice-President Cheney said that "deficits don't matter" in a meeting with the Bush administration's economic team, the national debt has exceeded $10 trillion dollars. This is the highest dollar amount ever, and pushes the debt to 69 percent of the gross domestic product, the highest percentage since 1955. When Bush took office, "the national debt stood at $5.727 trillion," and in eight years there has been an increase of over 70 percent, which is the largest increase in the debt of any president in history. The Center for Budget Policy and Priorities attributes 42 percent of the "fiscal deterioration" under Bush solely to his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. The fiscal year 2009 budget also has a near-record deficit of $407 billion, which was calculated before the administration spent $900 billion rescuing troubled financial institutions and proposed a $700 billion economic bailout. One facet of the economic bailout bill that passed the Senate and is being voted on in the House today increases the federal debt ceiling -- the amount to which the debt is legally allowed to go -- to $11.3 trillion.

CIVIL RIGHTS -- VON SPAKOVSKY CLAIMS OBAMA WOULD HAVE A 'PARTISAN AND POLITICALLY-BIASED' JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: In May, controversial former Justice Department official Hans von Spakovsky withdrew his name from consideration for the Federal Election Commission, following months of opposition from lawmakers and civil rights groups. Since then, Spakovsky has busied himself by writing opinion pieces for conservative news outlets like the Wall Street Journal and National Review. In an article for the right-wing Human Events yesterday, Spakovsky criticized efforts by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to get attack ads by the American Issues Project off of TV, saying that the "actions should cause every American to ask, can Obama be trusted with the powers of the Justice Department." Spakovsky claimed that the Justice Department under Obama would be "partisan and politically-biased." Spakovsky's complaints are ironic given that six of his former Justice Department colleagues wrote to the Senate Rules Committee in June 2007, to say that he "injected partisan political factors into decision-making" when he ran the Voting Section of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. Critics said Spakovsky used every opportunity "to make it difficult for voters -- poor, minority and Democratic -- to go to the polls," including pushing through Texas re-districting that violated the Voting Rights Act.

MILITARY -- U.S. MILITARY SPENDING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO LURE NEW RECRUITS: According to data recently obtained by the Associated Press, "the Army and Marine Corps doled out nearly $640 million in the fiscal year that ended Tuesday to entice recruits to join up." Enlistment bonuses have run as high as $40,000 and "[a]ll told, the enlistment incentives coupled with the promise of thousands more for education, increased the costs of Army and Marine bonuses by 25 percent over last year's totals." The incentives played a major role in helping all branches of the U.S. armed forces meet recruiting goals for the year. The active-duty Army also boosted its recruitment numbers by "a new program that allows the Guard to bring in recruits, and then allow them to switch to the active Army for a few years before returning to the Guard." However, the Army has also lowered standards for new recruits, accepting more high school drop-outs and those with felonies, misdemeanors, and a history of drug and alcohol abuse. A RAND study found that having fewer "high-quality" recruits not only hurts military performance, it also costly.

Think Fast

At least eight lawmakers who voted against bailout legislation earlier this week "now say they would support the measure." "Four others say they may switch their ballots before the House votes again, at about 12:30 p.m. today on the bill, which failed by a dozen votes on Sept. 29." Additionally, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says "he's talked to some lawmakers he didn't name who've agreed to change their votes."

The Pentagon "will pay private U.S. contractors in Iraq up to $300 million over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to 'engage and inspire' the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government." Contracts are part of the U.S. military's "information/psychological operations" in Iraq for the future.

According to data obtained by the AP, "the Army and Marine Corps doled out nearly $640 million" to entice recruits in the fiscal year. Recruits were buoyed by incentives that can be as high as $40,000 each, which in total, "increased the costs of Army and Marine bonuses by 25 percent over last year."

Yesterday, an Alaska judge "refused to block a state investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she fired her public safety commissioner this summer" and "denied the Alaska attorney general's challenge of legislative subpoenas." Chief legislative investigator Steve Branchflower, is scheduled to present his report on Palin in one week.

Yesterday, a federal judge refused to dismiss charges against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). The judge explained that while "prosecutors had violated a rule requiring the sharing of exculpatory evidence," that he was "'not persuaded' that the violations were serious enough to declare a mistrial."

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) is seeking a 10th term in the U.S. House this Saturday "even though he was indicted last year on multiple federal corruption and bribery charges and is preparing to stand trial in December."

And finally: Bill O'Reilly flipped out and did it live last night. The vituperative Fox host screamed and cursed at Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), hurling all sorts of personal insults and name-calling in his direction. Frank told O'Reilly his "stupidity gets in the way of rational discussion." Watch O'Reilly's screed here. "Be sure to strap on your helmet and elbow pads before watching this one," says the Swamp.

Good News

"Congress has given final approval to a bill that could nearly double Amtrak’s annual subsidy, which in recent years has been just over $1 billion, and that would require new safety equipment on rail lines around the country."

State Watch

CALIFORNIA: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warns Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the state might need a federal bailout of as much as $7 billion.

ENERGY: "Kansas mayor wins prize for dressing in blackface drag: 'All this PC is bullsh*t.'"

ECONOMY: State workers face a bleak budget picture

Blog Watch

THINK PROGRESS: Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX) defends vote for bailout, but admits it's "not necessarily the best proposal."

WONK ROOM: Representatives announce legislative principles to "save the planet from calamitous global warming."

YGLESIAS: PBS's Gwen Ifill "didn't ask any follow-ups or challenge either candidate to address the questions she was asking last night's debate.

VALLEY WAG: Right-wing group boycotts Google for supporting gay marriage in California.

Daily Grill

"I do not complain about the media."
-- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), 10/2/08

VERSUS

"I love to bash the media all the time."
-- McCain, 10/2/08